There are a variety of systems for monitoring patients in, for example, a hospital or other closely controlled personal care facility. Similar systems are known to be implemented in retirement communities, or other residential living communities where patient care and monitoring is essential. In facilities such as these, it is important to provide a fast response to personal needs. For example, if a crippled or elderly person falls, often that person cannot get up under their own power. Instead, the person requires assistance from others under such situations.
There are well known patient call systems, which employ an intercom system or other patient-activated call system. Typically, in these systems, a patient may depress a button, pull a cord, or perform some other similar activity to initiate a call for assistance. Unfortunately, these systems generally have fixed activation points. That is, these systems employ mechanisms by which a patient may request assistance, only after reaching a fixed and predetermined location. For instance, a “call” button may be provided on the wall in a bathroom location, as well as one or two other locations within the person's living area. If the person falls, then the person must usually crawl to or otherwise reach the “call” button in order to request assistance. Obviously, if the person falls a substantial distance away from the “call” button, reaching the button presents a difficult task.
Another known conventional system providing patients with more convenient access for requesting assistance is the “Life Call” system. This system allowed a person to wear a wireless call unit that included a button that a person could depress to request assistance. This system was generally designed, or targeted, for use outside a patient-care facility. This system was specifically intended for in-home personal use, and included a base unit that was interfaced to a telephone line. The call unit worn by the patient transmitted a signal to the base unit, which could then initiate a telephone call to a facility that could provide medical or other appropriate response. The “Life Call” system also included an intercom that allowed the person, once a telephone connection was established, to verbally communicate from the person's remote transmitter to a remote location by way of the base unit. A disadvantage of this type of system, however, is that the system is limited in that if a patient travels too far from the base unit, then the remote transmitter becomes out of range and cannot access the base unit.